The Republic of Chile is a country in South America occupying a long coastal strip between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It shares borders with Argentina to the east, Bolivia to the northeast and Peru to the north.
A long and narrow coastal region on the west side of the Andes Mountains, Chile stretches over 4,630 km (2,880 miles) north to south, but only 430 km (265 mi) at its widest point east to west.
The northern Atacama desert contains great mineral wealth, primarily copper and nitrates. The relatively small Central Valley, which includes Santiago, dominates the country in terms of population and agricultural resources. This area also is the historical centre from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century, when it integrated the northern and southern regions. Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands. The Andes Mountains are located on the eastern border.
Chile is the longest (N-S) country in the world (over 4,200km), and also claims a large section of Antarctica as part of its territory.
About 10,000 years ago, migrating Native Americans settled in fertile valleys and along the coast of what is now Chile. The Incas briefly extended their empire into what is now northern Chile, but the area's remoteness and the fierce opposition of the native population prevented extensive settlement.
Chile's Constitution was approved in a tightly controlled national plebiscite in September 1980, under the military government of Augusto Pinochet. It entered into force in March 1981. After Pinochet's defeat in the 1988 plebiscite, the Constitution was amended to ease provisions for future amendments to the Constitution. In 2005 over 50 reforms were approved, which eliminated the remaining undemocratic areas of the text, such as the existence of non-elected Senators (institutional senators, or senators for life) and the inability of the President to remove the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.
Culture of Chile. Northern Chile was an important centre of culture in the medieval and early modern Inca empire, while indigneous Mapuche and other Araucanian cultures developed in the Central and Southern regions. Culture was afterwards dominated by the Spanish during the Colonial and early Republican period. Other European influences, at first chiefly English and French, began in the 19th century and have continued until today, as in other Western societies.
The national dance is the cueca (short for zamacueca) and first appeared in 1824. Another form of traditional Chilean song, though not a dance, is the tonada. Arising from music imported by the Spanish colonists, it is distinguished from the cueca by an intermediate melodic section and a more prominent melody. In the mid-1960s native musical forms were revitalized by the Parra family with the Nueva Canción Chilena, which became associated with political activism and reformers like Chilean socialist Salvador Allende and his Popular Unity government. Violeta Parra, Víctor Jara, Los Jaivas, Inti-Illimani, Illapu and Quilapayún are performers of this music. During the military rule in the 1970s, all forms of public expression contrary to the junta were repressed, and protest songs, which were played and circulated in a clandestine manner. In the late 1980s and after the return of democracy in the 1990s, new musical bands like La Ley, Los Tres and Los Prisioneros, began to appear. (See Music of Chile.)
Chileans call their country País de Poetas ("land of poets"). The country has produced two Nobel Literature laureates: Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda. Other major poets include: Pedro Prado, Vicente Huidobro, Pablo de Rokha, Juvencio Valle, Rosamel del Valle, Maximiliano Ilich Prieto, Gonzalo Rojas, Jorge Teillier, Enrique Lihn and Nicanor Parra. The major novelist and short story writer of the 20th century was probably Manuel Rojas, although not as well known outside of the country. Isabel Allende, another novelist, has achieved worldwide success with her stories of magic realism in Latin America, probably reaching a larger audience than any other Chilean prose writer. Jorge Edwards, José Donoso and Roberto Bolaño are also notable novelists.
Local film production in Chile is small, although it has been growing lately. Important filmmakers include: Raúl Ruiz (Palomita blanca), Miguel Littin (El chacal de Nahueltoro), Silvio Caiozzi (Julio comienza en julio), Ricardo Larraín (La frontera), Andrés Wood (Machuca), Alejandro Jodorowsky and Marcelo Ferrari ("Sub Terra").
Things you should know when travelling to Chile
You are advised against all travel to the demarcated landmine fields in regions I (bordering on Peru and Bolivia), II (bordering on Bolivia), and XII (bordering on Argentina in the Magallanes region of southern Chile, between Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine National Park, as well as Tierra del Fuego). Landmines fields are a danger in remote sections of several popular national parks in the northern border area more specifically Lauca and Llullaillaco national parks, Salar de Surire National Monument, and Los Flamencos National Reserve. Visitors should check with park authorities or local authorities before entering less-travelled areas and observe all warning signs.
Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching occur in urban centres, particularly in Santiago. Thieves are active in crowded tourist locations, markets, metro (subway) stations, trains, buses and taxis. Daylight muggings have been reported in the Cerro San Cristóbal park, which should be avoided after dark. Robberies and assaults occur most frequently in Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, especially during summer (December to March) . The poorer residential areas called "Poblaciones" should be avoided. Exercise caution at all times. Ensure personal belongings, passports and other travel documents are secure at all times and avoid carrying large sums of cash. Do not show signs of affluence. It is recommended to carry a photocopy of your passport. In case of emergency, dial 133 for police, and 132 for the fire department.
